The present invention is directed generally to tennis rackets, and more particularly to the hand grip portion of such instruments.
Tennis rackets are conventionally equipped with a hand grip that is octagonal in shape and sized to support a player's hand(s) for single-handed forehand strokes and single-handed or double-handed backhand strokes. The hand grip of many tennis rackets is formed by wrapping a gripping tape winding around a plastic sleeve that is slidably mounted over the shaft of the racket or formed thereon. The hand grip generally extends for about 71/2 inches from the base of the racket shaft and is of uniform dimension throughout its length. The circumferential size of the standard octagonal hand grip for junior to adult tennis rackets typically varies from about 4 inches to about 45/8 inches.
A disadvantage of conventional tennis racket hand grips is that they do not optimally conform to the configuration of the human hand such that the appreciable inertia generated by swinging the racket is not efficiently resisted by the player in the area of the hand, wrist and forearm. These inertial forces are particularly pronounced in newer rackets having enlarged racket head sizes. Because the size of the hand grip in prior art rackets is generally uniform over the length of the grip, the player's hand is not positioned to fully control such forces.
Accordingly, there is an evident need in the art for a tennis racket and tennis racket grip therefor that overcomes the foregoing disadvantages in a novel and innovative fashion. What is required is a tennis racket in which the effects of inertial forces generated by swinging the racket are minimized by providing an alternative to conventional hand grips of uniform size.